Culture Shock
by meterbroken
Summary: Takes place on Ember Island, where truth is revealed.
1. Chapter 1 Katara

Katara was drowning on dry land.

She couldn't sleep in the Fire Lord's abandoned summer home. Aang was sleeping with Appa in the courtyard, where Toph had camped out in her usual stone tent. Sokka and Suki had disappeared, and Zuko was in the room next door.

Zuko had given everyone a choice of rooms when he gave them a tour of the guest wing. They were all similar in furnishings, but each was decorated in its own theme. Katara had chosen a room decorated in gold. Real gold. More gold than she had ever seen in her life.

There was no linen in the bathroom, but she had found a clean silk robe, and bent the water off her skin and hair before returning to her bedroom.

She had been surprised to find Zuko making her bed. She was not surprised to find Aang helping him.

The bed was enormous. Six people could sleep comfortably in it and never touch each other. It was draped with insect netting, embroidered with gold thread and covered with pillows. After months of camping, followed by the sparse furnishings of the abandoned temple, a real bed in a private room was a treasure. Katara had burrowed down into its depths expecting to fall into deep, luxurious sleep.

Now she was watching the moonlight illuminate blood-red sheets, and no amount of decadence could bring comfort. Zuko and Aang had worked together to make this bed for her, and she began to believe that she could feel the difference between the cool, airy spaces and the hot, smooth ones.

Katara knew that they had done this as an innocent act of courtesy. Zuko was trying to be a good host, and Aang was just being good. They had no idea that Water Tribe tradition gave great significance to the making of a young woman's bed.

As a child, her mother made her bed. Then Gran-gran made her bed. On the road, she made it herself. Someday, she would be a bride, and her new husband would make her bed in a ritual of dressing and undressing that added new pelts to a pile as it removed layers of fabric and fur from her body.

She could not breathe; the sheets would smother her.

Katara slept on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2 Toph

Toph was having a nightmare.

Zuko's tour had unearthed memories of the Bei Fong estate that Toph had buried deep in her mind, under solid slabs of stone.

She had made the usual jokes - the view was beautiful, the décor tasteful, the room was her favorite color. Everyone laughed, and no one noticed her fear. They couldn't feel the way the polished marble floors chilled her skin but boiled her blood. They didn't see how the wood and parchment walls leaned in toward her with more weight than mountains.

In her dream, she was a porcelain doll. Her face, hands, and feet were made of precious, sculpted clay, but she could not bend them. Her mother was dressing her in what was being described as her wedding gown. It felt cold, and exposed too much.

As she was dressed, her mother rambled on and on about the treasures her father had gathered for her dowry. She also babbled about the wedding ceremony, the valuable gifts, and the important guests. Most of all, she talked about the groom.

Toph's unbendable eyes could not cry. Her painted mouth could not beg her mother to stop. Her ears were caves, echoing with praise of her, "rich and handsome husband." So rich. So good looking. Such luck to be given to a beautiful man.

Toph slept on, and her tent grew crystal spikes.


	3. Chapter 3 Sokka

Sokka was thanking the universe.

He was alone with a beautiful woman who wanted him. This woman was almost guaranteed not to turn into the moon.

This was better than meat.

Things wouldn't go too far. They would go as far as possible, but not too far, not yet. Sokka respected Suki. His father had taught him the rules, and Gran-Gran would string him up over a seal-shark hole if he went beyond the bounds of unmarried behavior.

When the couple found themselves in a bedroom far from the others, he was nervous, but happy. Then Suki tossed a pile of sheets into his hands, and told him to make the bed while she was in the bath. She didn't see his face, or she would have caught him when his skin turned pale gray and he slid slowly to the floor with the sheets in his arms.

She wanted him to make her bed? Did she understand what this meant? No. She had no way of knowing that she had just invited him to…no. They would fool around a little, and they would sleep, and nothing more. The thought of curling his arms around her and waking up with them still in place was enough, for now.

But this had to be a sign. This pile of sheets was from the universe, and the universe was telling him that everything was going to be great. They were going to win, and life would be good.

Much, much later, Sokka held his not-moon girl and planned the design of a necklace.


	4. Chapter 4 Suki

Suki was frustrated.

She lay in Sokka's arms, listening to him snore in the moonlight. She had picked this room out during Zuko's tour. It was slightly isolated from the others, and had a reasonably human-sized bed. The bed was in the center of the room on a platform, like an island, and the surrounding décor was designed to enhance the feeling with murals and mirrors. It was perfect.

Why had he stopped? She had made it clear that she wanted him. This would not be her first time with a man – she knew what she was doing. Sokka didn't. He was awkward and sweet. She tried to guide his fumbling hands, but it only seemed to make him more nervous. He kept mumbling about seal-sharks and asking her if he had tucked the sheets in properly.

Maybe he was saving his energy for the battle. She had known men like that, and always found it amusing.

This island-room reminded her of home. She missed her warriors.

She sighed, and rolled over. It could have been good, with Sokka. She was surprised by the affection she felt for the water warrior. She was even starting to like his jokes.

Perhaps this was for the best. They would be going home after the battle. She had sworn oaths to Kyoshi, and it wasn't likely that she would see him again.

Suki closed her eyes, and planned to journey home without him.


	5. Chapter 5 Zuko

Zuko was not in his room.

He wasn't in the house.

He wasn't on the property.

He was walking on the beach in the moonlight, thinking about a bonfire and a girlfriend whose heart was wrapped in layers of black cloth and knives.


	6. Chapter 6 Aang

Aang was dreaming of the sky.

He swooped, he sailed, he soared.

It was solitary and peaceful.

As long as he was flying, he didn't mind being alone.


	7. Chapter 7 Water

Breakfast was stolen, spicy, and unusually quiet.

Sokka had found a brush and ink, and was doodling on the backs of paper more valuable than anything he had ever owned. Zuko didn't care.

But the prince was surprised when Sokka asked Toph about weddings.

"Soooo, Earth Champion," Sokka began, without looking at her.

Toph cut him off, "No, Snoozles, you can't have my flame-sauce. Stay away from my dip if you want to live."

"Hey, I have interests other than food!" Sokka looked smug. "In fact, I was just going to point out that we've been missing out on a real opportunity for cultural exchange."

Katara looked pointedly at Suki, and said, "No, I think you've been exchanging plenty of culture."

Suki rolled her eyes, Zuko snorted, Aang looked confused, and Toph punched Katara in the arm.

"I'm serious," Sokka spoke earnestly. "Here we are, representatives of all four nations, and we never really spent any time learning about each other's culture." He glanced at Suki. "That's going to be important after the war."

Katara was annoyed, and a bit cranky from sleeping on the floor. "What are you talking about? We've traveled all over the world, and we've all been living together. How can you say you don't know these people?"

Sokka got up and started walking around the group. "Katara, I'm not saying I don't know our friends. I'm saying that there's lots of stuff we don't know about each other's traditions. I mean, we didn't even know that you were wearing an engagement necklace until we went to the North Pole, and that's our own heritage!" He paused. "So, Toph, how do people get married in the Earth Kingdom?"

Suki stood very still, Zuko snorted, Aang looked fascinated and Katara was alarmed.

Toph growled, "I don't know what you heard, Snoozles, but this is not funny." She stomped away and covered herself in an earth tent.


	8. Chapter 8 Earth

Sokka was confused.

"What did I do wrong?" he asked Katara.

Zuko answered, "Toph's family is Earth Kingdom aristocracy. Her marriage has been arranged since her birth, and her parents are always reminding her that they got her a good match, despite her blindness."

"How did you know that?" Katara's snarky tone didn't cover her obvious hurt at not being Toph's chosen confidant.

"I carried her around a lot while her feet were healing," the prince replied.

Katara grasped her necklace. "Arraigned marriages are horrible. The northern tribe still leaves a lot of decisions to parents." She looked like she was going to ask Zuko a question, but Suki cut her off.

"The Earth Kingdom is a really big place, and it isn't all the same; no one arranges marriages on Kyoshi," she said with pride.

"Yes," replied Zuko, "I traveled there for a while, and most marriages were very informal."

"Why shouldn't they be?" the warrior-woman answered. "Marriage is temporary. It's an agreement, made in public, to share work and raise children. It ends when both adults agree that it's over. That's the only way to ensure independence."

Katara and Sokka were shocked.

Surprisingly, Sokka recovered first. "You're kidding, right? I mean, no one ends a marriage. Marriage is a promise."

"It didn't sound like Toph could end her marriage," Katara countered.

"No, she can't," Suki explained. "Her marriage is a binding contract between families. Rich people pride themselves on delivering a bride with a big dowry to a family with bigger social connections."

"They sell them?" Katara raged. "They sell their daughters like slaves! We can't let Toph can't go back."

Zuko said, "I'd like to see the man who tries to make Toph do anything." That got a smile from Katara, so Zuko kept going. "The Earth Kingdom has it backwards. In the Fire Nation, a man has to earn his bride. He doesn't get paid to take her."

This announcement did not have the desired result. Both Katara and Suki demanded to know how a man goes about earning a woman. They did not use nice language.


	9. Chapter 9 Fire

Zuko was backed into a corner.

"Hey, I didn't make the tradition!" Zuko threw both hands up in surrender. "It's mostly symbolic, anyway. The woman decides what task must be accomplished, or sets a price to be paid for the care of her parents."

Suki still looked disgusted, but Katara was appeased. Taking care of parents was good, and the Water Tribes expected men to do brave deeds for their families.

Sokka seemed to have missed a few minutes of conversation. He spoke to Suki, "You said both adults have to agree to end a marriage, right? So some people must stay together."

Suki smiled, "Yes. Some people do."

Sokka smiled back.

Suki knew she'd have to wait to explain the rest. She was surprised that he was thinking about her so seriously, especially after last night. Why did he have to make it so difficult? Why did he keep getting more and more – attractive? She didn't want to hurt him, but Kyoshi warriors never marry.

This wasn't the time to make a scene. That conversation could wait until after the final battle with the Fire Lord.

Katara was holding her necklace again. She raised one eyebrow and looked sideways at Zuko, "So, what did your promised bride demand?"

Zuko blushed. Once, when they were children, Mai had asked for Azula's head.

He answered, "Marriage is a contract in the Fire Nation. There is divorce, but it's complicated, and it never happens among royalty. We don't get married until we're adults, and that's 21 in this country. My father was still screening candidates when he banished me."

Everyone but Aang exclaimed, "21!"

Zuko agreed with Suki that the Earth Kingdom's tradition of legal adulthood at age 18 made more sense, but he was shocked to learn that he would be considered an adult by the Water Tribes.

He gaped at Katara. "Are you seriously saying that you could get married less than two years from now?"

Now it was Katara's turn to blush. "Well, we don't have to get married right away. There's usually an engagement, and the families work together to build the couple a new home. But any woman over 18 who isn't married isn't really treated like an adult."

Suki swore in outraged protest, while Zuko quietly calculated the difference between his age and Katara's, and wondered why he suddenly felt that 21 was very old, indeed.

"No, wait, Suki – I understand," Katara was trying to calm Suki down. "I know better now. But at home, there were so few of us left. Family is an honor and a duty, and marriage is forever."

Everyone got very quiet.

Zuko broke the silence by questioning Aang, "What was marriage like for air benders? Did the monks teach you anything, or were you expected to be a monk?"

Aang laughed. "No, I don't have to be a monk, but I'll never get married."


	10. Chapter 10 Air

That was news.

Katara tried not to sound too concerned, but couldn't help it. "Why not? Do you have to marry an air bender?"

Zuko looked very uncomfortable.

"No, it's not that," Aang explained. "The Air Nomads don't get married. We're one big family. No one would tie themselves down to just one person forever. That would be selfish."

"Selfish!" Katara ranted. "How can you say that? What about love? What about children?"

"Love is great," Aang replied with shiny innocence. "We fall in love all the time. Children are a gift of love. That's why everyone raises the children together. Some people stay together for a long time and have more than one child, and others share their love everywhere when they travel between temples."

He looked around, and misunderstood the group's expressions. So he continued with even greater conviction, "Everyone should have children with more than one person, because variety is beautiful. And everyone should take care of children. Even monks who have freed themselves from the weight of earthly ties have a duty to teach children."

Suki smirked. Sokka was bug-eyed. Zuko was blushing redder than his nation's flag, and Katara froze in horror.

This was followed by a moment of sparking glances, embarrassed smiles, wiggling eyebrows, and pure puzzlement. Then Sokka's voice squeaked, "So, Aang. Um, how old do you have to be before you, um, give all the lucky ladies children?"

Aang was glad Sokka understood, and answered quickly, "We get lots of practice whenever we feel ready, and then it just happens."

You could have heard a monkey-feather fall.

Then there was a rumble of crumbling earth.

Toph shouted out to the group, "Hey, Twinkle-Toes! After we bury Sparky's father, can I be adopted as an Air Nomad?"


End file.
